Michele made a statement about Monteith, her boyfriend of more than a year, for the first time Monday with a Twitter post.

"Thank you all for helping me through this time with your enormous love & support," she wrote. "Cory will forever be in my heart."

Michele and her cast mates, who also have offered touching statements, are expected to film an episode that's a tribute to Monteith soon. The show's co-creator Ryan Murphy told Deadline that production on the new season will begin next month, later than planned, to "help with the grieving process." The Cory episode will air after an already written, two-part arc featuring Beatles songs, and just before the show takes a hiatus to regroup.